Settling on a place to live is hard — especially when whittling down choices in a city as diverse as New York. So one innovative couple decided on a 'try before you buy' approach, spending a month each in several neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Before this experiment, David Roberts and Elaine Kuok had spent their fifteen years of marriage living a similarly nomadic lifestyle due to his work as an academic physicist and diplomat, which took them to London, Paris, Tokyo, Bangkok, and Africa for long stays.

When they finally decided to stop country-hopping and settle down in New York City in the fall of 2014, however, they were wary of making such a big commitment without more information. In an essay for the New York Times, David explained that they then came up with the idea to live off of Airbnb for a year, trying out a new neighborhood every month or so

Moving on: A couple who couldn't decide which New York neighborhood to live in decided to try a different one every month for a year with Airbnb

The travelers: David Roberts(left) and Elaine Kuok (right) were used to moving around a lot for his work, so it wasn't such a stretch to hop from place to place

Saying that you want to live in New York can mean a lot of things, since the many different areas of city — which includes five boroughs and countless neighborhoods — offer drastically different environments.

By vowing to live in Airbnb rentals for a year, David and Elaine would be able to sample several places that they were interested in before choosing which worked best. The apartments they stayed in would all be furnished, too, so they wouldn't have to lug too many things from place to place.

The couple particularly like renting through the home-sharing site because it offered safeguards: Users could read reviews, and the company would find a replacement if there was a problem within the first 24 hours. It also did away with the need for a lease and the tricky business of expensive brokers' fees, which are all but required in New York.

They also decided on a month or more in each location not just to get a good feel of the 'hood, but for legal reasons. In NYC, rentals for private rooms must last for more than 30 days if the owner isn't present — a rule that many Airbnb users tend to silently skirt around.

Finally, their plan in place, they set out to find their first new temporary home.

RELATED ARTICLES

Share this article

Chelsea: Their first stop was less than ideal because they'd yet to build up a history of good reviews on Airbnb

Chelsea, Manhattan

'A residential neighborhood of walk-ups, cafes and rats, right in the center of it all, Chelsea epitomized our image of city living, a fitting first stop on our home-free journey,' David wrote.

Unfortunately, though, it wasn't those things that drew them in that made the biggest impression. Because the couple was new to Airbnb, they'd yet to build up a history of good customer reviews — making it difficult to find a good place to stay. And their apartment there was not what they'd hope for.

The rear-facing walk-up came with a poorly-working refrigerator and an odor so bad that they didn't want to stay. After working it out with Airbnb, they moved to one of the renter's units, which was bigger, brighter, and fresher-smelling — but still not the experience they were looking for.

Williamsburg: This place was hipster-central, as expected - but the couple began to feel that the 'uniqueness' was contrived

Williamsburg, Brooklyn

David and Elaine's place in Williamsburg was a 'homier' studio that perfectly fit in the hipster picture that comes to mind for most people picture when they hear the neighborhood's name. The room they rented was decorated with leather 'Titanic-style' trunks, a manual typewriter, and even an animal skull on the wall.

David said they soon realized that the hipster quality felt too contrived for them. David said it seemed like all of the shops in the area — which were filled with 'individual touches' — tried to hard, and they all ended up looking the same. Something similar could be said for the residents there.

'A month here was sufficient — long enough to do a field study of hipster subspecies, to discover gems like Best Pizza (which really does have the best pizza) and to realize that having been born in the late 1970s, we were too old for this party,' he said.

Gowanus: They were ready to take a chance on this industrial hood but had to leave immediately after their rental was a disaster

Gowanus, Brooklyn

Their place here was in the 'edgy' part of the neighborhood, which some would argue is actually pretty edgy all over.

Though it's bordered by the much tonier Park Slope and trendy Cobble Hill — and is said to be on the upswing with more of an artsy crowd moving in — Gowanus is still quite industrial, populated by bleek brick and gray-painted buildings, graffiti, and factories.

But they didn't stay for long. David and Elanie found that the apartment was a disaster immediately, when no key was left for them and they were instructed to break in with a credit card. When they did, they found that the previous inhabitants belongings were still strewn about and the heat was broken — so they decided to book it to another location that night.

East Harlem: Though this 'hood had it's drawbacks, like rats and trash, it had it's own charm that endeared the nomadic couple

East Harlem, Manhattan

Here they stayed on the neighborhood's southern border, with the Upper East Side — somewhere around the high 90s and low 100s.

Their quiet, rear-facing, prewar one-bedroom apartment was old and small, with a shower set up in the kitchen. Being winter when they moved in, they quickly learned one of the biggest problems with older buildings in the city: It is often difficult to control heat, which can make it warm enough inside for renters to throw open all the windows, even when the temperatures are below freezing.

Outside their front door seemed less promising, too. They passed trash bags and rats he street, and graffiti was painted on nearby buildings graffiti — which was actually someone charming to David, who referred to it as 'art'.

In fact, the neighborhood grew on them with its little quirks, like the woman who worked at the diner who'd hook them up with more food if they tried to speak Spanish. They even started to refer to the corner store as 'their bodega'.

Soho: They lucked out with a good apartment in this trendy neighborhood full of shops and celebrity-beloved hot spots - and singer Patti Smith was a neighbor

Soho, Manhattan

Their next move offered a drastic change, as they moved to one of the pricey city's priciest neighborhoods. The trendy, downtown are - which is short for South of Houston — offers lots of boutiques, high-end salons, and restaurants favored by celebrities.

There they had a 'chic' one-bedroom that they managed to nab because the owner liked one of the painting Elaine, who is an artist, had on her website. The apartment was filled with 'one-of-a-kind' pieces the owner had picked up from travels, as well as fancy, expensive cookware and expensive decor.

When they left, Elaine left behind a painting she'd done of Patti Smith, which the owner said she'd show to the singer herself, who lived down the street.

West Village: David and Elaine liked this neighborhood but thought it was too expensive for them

West Village, Manhattan

The couple's two-bedroom in this pretty neighborhood winding with tree-lined streets was filled with art, which they considered a lucky find.

Though the downtown streets are home to plenty of great restaurants, though, David lamented that most were too expensive for him and his wife.

They decided that like Soho, the West Village was a very nice place to live if you are celebrity or an otherwise financially blessed individual — but not quite as befitting of regular people on a budget.

Fort Green: David liked that this neighborhood has become 'a welcoming home for aspiring young writers'

Fort Greene, Brooklyn

Back across the East River to Brooklyn, David and Elain found a 'massive three-bedroom duplex' that they liked in Fort Greene.

David described the neighborhood as 'a welcoming home for aspiring young writers' - which he found quite appropriate, since Of Mice and Men author John Steinbeck used to live there.

It's trendy, too, though more laid-back than most of the areas of the city they'd tried out previously, with plenty of parks and farmers' markets to enjoy, as well as and brownstone-lined streets dotted with trees.

East Village: In this young, hip area, the couple had an apartment that smelled like marijuana but had a beautiful view of the Empire State Building

East Village, Manhattan

In this hip neighborhood, the couple found their biggest space yet in a subsidized co-op 'dominated by Chinese and Ukrainian old-timers'.

Though it sometimes smelled like marijuana, they had a beautiful view of the Empire State and Chrysler several blocks north, as well as a balcony facing nearby Alphabet City.

David said that surprisingly, they both liked the 'rootedness' of the community there, which is filled with lots of ethnic restaurants and hip bars with loud crowds.

Cobble Hill: They loved this neighborhood, which has lots of parks as well as cool cafes and bars, and stayed for two months instead of one

Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

Finally, the two migrated back to Brooklyn once more. Just a stone's throw from Gowanus, where their apartment had been so bad they couldn't stay, they found a markedly better place in Cobble Hill. David attributes this in part to the fact that by now, they were Airbnb pros who'd racked up plenty of good reviews over the past months.

Cobble Hill is home to cool bars, cafes, and restaurants, but is more affordable than some of the ritzy Manhattan neighborhoods they lived in earlier in the year.

That combination was perfect for the frequent-movers, who liked the area and their accommodations so much that they extended their stay there to two months.

In fact, they enjoyed the whole experience enough to decide that they didn't want to settle on just one neighborhood after all, and are continuing to live between Airbnb rentals.

DAVID'S TIPS FOR FINDING A PLACE ON AIRBNB

David and Elaine had good experiences and bad - and learned a thing or two along the way.

1. Take advantage of Airbnb's 24-hour replacement policy if the home you're staying in isn't as advertised.

2. Avoid renters who offer multiple locations, as they are likely less cared-after and have impersonal decor.

3. Be wary of listing without enough pictures.

4. Ask about elevator access and how many floors up and apartment is before booking.

5. If you're going to live in Airbnb rentals like they did, get rid of your stuff. The couple had just three suitcases and sold or donated most of their other belongings.